Support WPS: L.A. Sol

byThe YankonApril 6, 2009

Team History: The Sol, like the Galaxy, are owned primarily by AEG, the sports and entertainment behemoth that used to own most of MLS. The team’s uniforms are actually almost identical to the Gals too. With AEG’s deep pockets, I believe the Sol are in a very good position to emerge as a major power in the new league.

The Coach: Abner Rogers is a British born gent who has a reputation for developing some of the best women’s soccer players in the US. He is a two-time winner of the California Youth Soccer Association Coach of the Year Award and a legend in US youth soccer. The only question now is whether he is ready to coach in the “big leagues”.

The Players: You have to like the Sol’s lineup. Marta, the Brazilian playmaker, is a three-time FIFA Player of the Year and I would wager she will easily win the first WPS MVP award if she can stay healthy. They also received three fine US WNT players, Aly Wagner and the dynamic duo I like to call “Boxx and Cox” (Shannon and Stephanie).

The Venue: Also like the Galaxy, the Sol will play their home games in “The Cathedral of American Soccer”, the Home Depot Center in Carson, California. The HDC is about as “state of the art” as it gets when it comes to soccer facilities in the US, and people in LA love the game, so I believe the Sol will have plentiful fan support at home games.

The Prediction: With Marta controlling their fortunes, it’s hard not to call the Sol the “favorite” entering the season. But, they seem to lack defensive experience and depth, so I think it could be a tougher run than many are expecting. Plus, while Marta is undoubtedly the best player, she is known for choking in the big matches, so I think they will fall short of the title this year.